White Witch - White Witch (11 tracks) +Album Reviews

Audio Brilliance

Stephen L. Stansell | Pembroke Pines, FL | 09/30/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a Radio Personality that started my career in South Georgia in the early 70's. Right about the time this album was released. I was fortunate to not only acquire a promotional box of this album to give away on my radio station, but I also saw them live and met the band when they came for an on-air interview. This album is at the very top of all my all time favorites, and the band is truly one of the most talented to every perform live. What a treat! There really was something very magical about this band. Phil Walden knew it the first time he ever heard them. This album is an absolute masterpiece.

If you ever saw them perform it live, you know how powerful this music is. Ronn Goedert is the most sonically perfect Vocalist I've ever heard. I wish he was still with us. I wish this band would have given us more of their incredible work.

Thank you White Witch for giving us this album."

One Of The Most Underated Rock Bands Of The 70's.

Terry Dunn | Griffin, Georgia | 03/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Along with Captain Beyond, White Witch could probably be the most underrated rock and roll band of the 70's. No one instrument dominate the sound...it is a well mixed album. This is one of my favorite albums not only of the 70's, but of all-time. I couldn't name the best cut, but the opener, "Help Me Lord" and "Home Grown Girl" really rock. Our band covered the ragtime sounding "It's So Nice To Be Stoned". It was a favorite of our audiences. Listen...if you like rock and roll, you'll love this one.

"

This disc is a MASTERPIECE

blacknapkins | Sarasota, FL United States | 04/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This HAS to be one of, if not THE finest debut LPs from anyone. They had their own sound, and the influence they left behind is astonishing. So many bands copped riffs and licks from these guys. And Ronn Goedert the singer was SO far ahead of his time. He paved the way for all the hairband screamers of the 80's, none of whom can top him if they tried (AXEL, you listening?). What do they sound like? Great! Organ riffs ala Deep Purple, guitar crunches ala early Blue Oyster Cult, spacy melodies ala Bowie or Klattu- with great lyrics and crisp production, a perfect blend. The songs weave in and out of one another seamlessly, and the whole album is great from start to finish.From the machine gun paced rocker Illusion to the dreamy spacy Sleepwalk, to the lovely And I'm Leaving, this disc is a HUGE achievement. It's just so... cool! Sad to report that there will be no more music from these guys as Ronn recently passed away, according to the website for this band- only an upcoming tribute to Ronn. Such a shame- these guys deserved to occupy the status of Led Zeppelin."

An Overlooked Classic!

Chuck Potocki | Highland, Indiana | 01/03/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was very happy to see this album finally become available on CD, albeit for only a couple of years before Capricorn Records folded again. This band along with their labelmates, Captain Beyond somehow managed to slip under the radar even though both bands created incredible music; far better than what was going on at the time.

On their classic debut, White Witch show just how versatile they were by literally being all over the musical map...beginning with the ominous "Parabrahm Greeting/Dwellers Of The Threshold" in which late vocalist Ronn Goedert punctuates the eerie mood with ear-piercing shrieks. This leads into the more progressive "Help Me Lord" & "Don't Close Your Mind", both of which feature the incredible keyboard talents of the also late Buddy Pendergrass, who makes abundant use of the Moog synthesizer.

The poppier "You're The One" again features Pendergrass' synthesizer phrasings, the beginning sounding a bit like "Cold As Ice" by Foreigner. Perhaps Foreigner were influenced by this album? One never knows. This leads into the aptly-titled "Sleepwalk" which creates a dreamy mood in the first half, then giving way to an excellent jazz/rock workout in the second half, the synthesizer sounds very much like "Space Intro" on Steve Miller's "Fly Like An Eagle". Another influence here? Maybe.

The second side of the album kicks off with the straight ahead southern rock of "Homegrown Girl", which could actually qualify as a "filler" track; not bad, but not really a favorite of mine. That quickly changes with the very Beatlesesque "And I'm Leaving", an infectiously catchy melody that will have you humming & singing along for weeks afterward. "Illusion" is the most progressive-sounding of the tracks with it's charging tempo & full on fusion raveups near the end. Ronn Goedert's vocals are almost a dead-ringer for Axl Rose; perhaps Axl listened to this album at one time? Again, you just never know...

Next, the band goes into Vaudeville mode with the not-so-tongue-in-cheek pot anthem "It's So Nice To Be Stoned", featuring some great jangle piano work from Buddy Pendergrass. "Have You Ever Thought Of Changing?/Jackson Slade" is a mid-tempo rocker with excellent guitar work from Buddy Richardson & somewhat weird lyrics from Ronn Goedert. This leads into the closing salvo "The Gift", which sounds every bit as eerie & haunting as the lead tracks on the album.

It's really a shame that a band this talented was so overlooked in it's career & released only one more equally brilliant album before fading away into obscurity. Ronn Goedert passed away from cancer in 2000, & Buddy Pendergrass succumbed from the same in 2003, putting an end to a proposed WW reunion & tour around that time. Who knows what more great work we would've heard from them had this happened. Pick this one up as well as their 2nd & final CD "A Spiritual Greeting"; both of these are excellent albums.

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